Because it’s October, it’s time to take a look at some new horror movies. Specifically, ones that are not sequels, franchises, or reboots. With films these days often relying on nostalgia and the resurrection of 20th-century characters, an original horror movie is hard to come by. But directors like Jordan Peele, Robert Eggers, and Ari Aster are at the front lines of the elevated horror movement. This is a sub-genre, combining both horror and art house films. These films attempt to bring a sense of originality and sophistication to the horror genre, one often criticized for its shallowness. So here are a few horror films that will soon be out on streaming or digital. 

Nope (2022) Dir. Jordan Peele

Jordan Peele has been moving upward very quickly in the movie industry, releasing his debut film Get Out a mere six years ago. He has already cemented his place in the new wave of horror, also releasing the 2019 horror film Us. His third and most recent is Nope, a psychological horror film that relies more on mental and emotional fear than gore and jump scares. Nope stars Danial Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as siblings who co-own a horse ranch. After some detective work involving security cameras and inflatable dummies, they discover a cloud in the sky that never seems to move. After learning about this mysterious force, they have no choice but to face off with the mysterious entity in the sky. Nope is currently out on Blu-Ray and will be released for streaming on November 18th. 

X (2022) Dir. Ti West

Paying homage to western slashers like Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Ti West explores the fear we all have of naked old people. In addition to that, X is an incredibly unusual period piece, focusing on a group of twenty-somethings determined to shoot an adult film in the late 1970s. However, their religious neighbors oppose this idea and take it into their own hands to stop the films from ever being finished. Mia Goth plays two characters, one being an actress and the other being an elderly woman who can’t stand the idea of something so unholy being filmed near her house. Being an intentionally controversial film, X pushes boundaries in an attempt to make viewers squirm. X is the first film in Ti West’s new horror trilogy. The prequel, Pearl, is now out in theaters and a sequel has been announced. X is currently out on both digital and streaming platforms. 

Barbarian (2022) Dir. Zach Creggar 

Whether or not you like Barbarian, anyone who has seen it must admit they left the theater surprised. Not once does Zach Creggar make it clear what his film is about, what is going to happen, or what the character’s intentions are. In his first horror film, Creggar goes against every trope, defies every expectation, and does everything he can to keep the audience on their toes. The film stars Georgina Campell and Bill Skarsgård as Tess and Keith, two strangers who have been double booked at their AirBNB and are forced to share a home with each other for the night. But unbeknownst to Tess, there is something much more sinister than she could possibly imagine in the house. Specifically, in a strange passage, she finds in the basement. It is a film that should be gone into without knowing any of the twists, so it would be wrong to explain the plot any further. Barbarian has just been released on both streaming and Blu Ray.

In addition to these films, there are many more promising horror flicks set to come out this year. The Menu is a horror/comedy and will be coming out on November 18th. It stars Anya Taylor Joy and Ralph Fiennes, taking place in a restaurant run by a pretentious celebrity chef. Call Me By Your Name director Luca Gaudino has a new horror film starring Timothee Chalamet called Bones and All. It will be in theaters on November 23rd, 2022. Prey for the Devil is a Daniel Stamm-directed horror/thriller about demonic possessions and a small Catholic church’s attempt to stop the demons by means of exorcism. It has just been released and is currently in theaters. There are many other promising horror movies expected in theaters in the coming months and it will be fascinating to see how the genre progresses in 2023.